"Mr Olli Rehn
Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enlargement
'Accession negotiations with Turkey: fulfilling the criteria'
European Economic and Social Committee EU-Turkey JCC
Brussels, 28 November 2005
European Economic and Social Committee EU-Turkey JCC
Brussels, 28 November 2005
Honourable Members of the Joint Consultative Committee
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am glad to address today this 20th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee. Let me first congratulate you for the 10th anniversary of the Committee, and pay tribute to you for the important work the Committee has done to promote dialogue and interaction between the economic and social actors in the EU and Turkey.
The decision of 3 October to begin accession negotiations with Turkey opens a new chapter in the historic process of peacefully unifying the European continent. As a result of its combined strategic, economic and population potential, Turkey can make a major contribution to regional and international stability. Europe needs a stable, democratic and prosperous Turkey which adopts and implements our values, our rule of law, our policies, our standards. It is in our own strategic interest."
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